Music City Macabre: The Low Lying Lands Saga: Vol. 1 (21 page)

Shut your mouth Prescott. Don’t do this.

“Let’s start over again then, shall we? Formal introductions out here in the open, a nice
cozy
fire in the background. I’m Kendrick Kade. This here is my associate, Ortiz.” He spread his arms and waved them around. “These are my children. Welcome to my home. Now, before I kill you and eat your face, who the fuck are you?”

“My name is Prescott. These are my friends, Shields and Cole. We’re waiting for one more. We came to kill you.”

I’m begging you. Please! Stop.

No!

The next thirty seconds felt like that scene in every movie you’ve ever seen where somebody says something crazy, then its dead quiet for a minute, then the entire bar, or whatever, erupts in laughter. That’s exactly what happened. Except it was moderately terrifying and this wasn’t a movie.

“You, and your…two friends...came here to kill me?” Kade laughed more of the insane laughter that was starting to piss me off. I get overconfidence, I get psycho, but now I’m just insulted.

“So, do you want me to kill you right here, or is there somewhere else you’d rather die?” I said smugly.

“That will be enough from you, comedian. I can honestly say I am surprised, Mr. Prescott.”

Cole and Shields simultaneously interrupted, “Don’t call him that!” I had to smile.

Feels almost like a team. Where are you?

NO! You will not do this to me. I will not participate!

“As I was saying. You recently came across my radar, Mr. Prescott. I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with you, though. It is you who will die. You see, I may rule this roost, but I take orders just the same.”

“Yeah. I met your boss. He’s a real douchebag. He killed my sister. I’m actually going to kill him, too. Can you go ahead and call him up? You know, do the
eye thing
. I have a few choice words before I take his ass out.” I was feeling good, things were moving according to plan so far. However, we were creeping into the phase of the plan in which one little element hadn’t quite fallen into place yet. I might be feeling a few sweat drops here, shortly.

You do know your thoughts are my thoughts, Prescott! You are well past the point of no return. You have killed yourself and your friends. Your arrogance is unlike anything I’ve seen in two thousand years. Shame on you!

“
Ortiz. Take Mr. Prescott’s associates to holding and let them stew with their remaining friend. They can join on us on the stage in one hour for our gift to Chaos. And Ortiz, fire up the PA, I want
everyone
in attendance.”

As Ortiz started to take Shields and Cole to whatever holding was I decided I couldn’t take the chance of letting them out of my sight. I sprang off the Jeep and sucker punched Kade as hard as I could, straight to the temple. Suffice it to say he went down hard, and the next thing I knew, I was getting tuned up by a horde of freaks for the second time in only three days. Getting captured was actually part of the plan, but getting separated was not.

I was on the ground, getting punched, kicked and jabbed when I suddenly heard a noise unlike anything I’ve ever heard nor do I expect to ever hear again. It was sort of like a shriek at the top and a simultaneous guttural vomiting sound. I was basically pretending to be a damn piñata right then, but I briefly entertain the idea of asking him if he needs me to hold his hair.

“
NO!
STOP!”
Dammit, it was Kade and he was in a full tilt
break.
I figured this would happen, in fact I had hoped it would, but this...is not what I expected. Kade had nearly doubled in size and his pulsating muscles ripped his shirt nearly clean off. His eyes clouded the familiar crimson and blood leaked from his ears. What I mean is that I had hoped to trigger the break on the stage, which is where I knew this would end up. If he totally loses it now before we get to the showstopper, I’m deader than Chuck Norris that time he fought Bruce Lee.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Especially the Freak brigade hauling off my friends to this asshole’s kitchen. Kade approached me and stopped about twelve inches shy of my face. His breath was warm and noxious. And my stomach...Jesus I swear Michael Flatley was in there doing the Riverdance. I could feel his eyes. They were like fifty pound dumbbells in my brain, and the weight of his stare made my knees buckle like Forrest Gump without the leg braces.

“Stand him up! Stand him up now!” I was grabbed by no fewer than four cronies who jerked me to my feet. Kade walked up to me. He stared at me again with those eyes, and willed himself back into his normal body. I blinked several times. I’m sure my mouth was hanging open a mile. He just
willed
himself down from a break. Seriously. Who in the world is this guy?

Someone who will crush you. Someone who will murder your spirit, and laugh while doing it. Someone you cannot defeat.

OK! Guess we’ll have to see how it goes.

“Pardon me, Mr. Prescott…”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I lost my...cool...there for a moment. Nice punch. It will of course, be your last. I hope it was worth the trip. You and your friends are all about to die a very long, bloody, and excruciatingly painful death. Congratulations. Seize them!”

“Oh for God’s sake, man! ‘Seize them’. You are really fucking this supervillain thing up something fierce,” I said.

I simply do not understand what you are doing, Prescott! You are going to die! So are the people you care about.

Maybe.

“Ortiz, I’m going put on some more fitting attire. The show will begin in ten minutes. Take Mr. Prescott, Mr. Cole, and Ms. Shields directly to the stage. Oh, and go fetch Mr. Haberman. He should also die tonight, just to complete the act. Call the kids and let them know to come out from shadows and join us.”

Kade stalked off and disappeared into a small crowd while Ortiz conducted affairs in the interim.

“You and you! Go fetch the prisoner from holding and bring him to the stage,” he demanded.

“We obey!” They shouted in unison, and off they went.

“Prescott! Let’s go. Bring the others.” We marched through a sea of Freaks as we made our way away from the entrance to ‘Kade Land’ and into the lion’s den. I’m worried about Lexi. I don’t know why I’m choosing this moment do it but, I am. At least if I die tonight she’s not going to be locked in the bathroom with a dead guy. What can I say? I love her. I’ve been conditioned to expect that my love is a death sentence to anyone I care about.
Not this time, Lexi. We’re gonna have a nice long run together.

Not hardly, Prescott. You arrogant bastard.

Bastard? I didn’t think angels could say bad words.

Shut your mouth. You have gambled with your life and lost. I’m sorry.

We’ll see.

Ortiz wasn’t messing around with how quickly he bound our hands behind our backs and rustled us up on to the stage. First he grabbed Cole by the neck, walked him across the stage and positioned him under a bank of lights that had been turned on before the dog and pony show arrived. I was momentarily shoved out of the way and Shield was lassoed by Ortiz’s power grip. Shields, of course, had been shot and looked like it. Her face was sweaty despite the cooler temp, and her skin had gone ashen. Ortiz helped Laura up the stairs by kicking her with a very large boot right in the back. With her hands tied she couldn’t brace herself, but she was able to turn just enough that her opposite side, ear, neck and shoulder took the brunt of the damage. Not her gunshot side. But she cried out in agony. Cole screamed, “No! No! Laura!”

“Aaah! Hoh! Dammit, you son of a bitch! You and me are gonna meet again, and it’s gonna play out right differently than this. Believe it asshole!” she spat. Ortiz merely smiled, yoked her by the collar of her shirt, and dragged her up the steps and to her feet. She was a warrior. “I’m OK, Michael. I’m OK,” she said to him. She was most certainly not OK. Something in my gut told me Ortiz was totally screwed.

I was still down on ground level when a ruckus broke out behind me. The crowd, which had been steadily growing, I guess by ass to mouth communication, parted when two Freaks appeared, dragging a man I’d never seen before by his ankles. I don’t know which one this is but it’s either Hellwig or Haberman. The larger of the two Freaks that delivered him bent over at the waist, grabbed the man by his shirt and snatched him violently to his feet. Then gave him a headbutt for good measure. He probably assumed it didn’t matter what he did, since the Regular was just going to die anyway.

“Hey, hey! What the hell, jackass!” I said.

“Shut up, meat!” he grunted. “I’ll need a toothpick to get your guts out of my teeth in a couple hours.”

“Well, that’s unpleasant. You should really take the course on prisoner treatment. You see, you’re not allowed to hurt my feelings while I’m in your custody. Even if you do plan on executing me. Why don’t you go get the manual and I’ll show you the pertinent paragraph.” The Freak rushed over to me and drove a knee into my solar plexus. I’m fairly certain my pancreas hit my uvula. And, of course, I dropped straight to the ground with the taste of blood in my mouth.

Jesus, that really hurt.

You deserved it.

“Unbelievable,” the prisoner said. “Not only are you a wiseass, you got caught. Malcolm seemed to think much higher of your abilities and importance.”

“Don’t be fooled by it…” I gestured towards him.

“...David. Haberman.”

“...David. I’m terrified. It’s how I cope.

David was about to say something when a devastating bit of feedback came out of several large speakers. It was Ortiz. “EVERYBODY LISTEN UP! YOUR ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED IN THE YARD IN TEN MINUTES. IF YOU ARE NOT HERE, HE WILL KNOW. THAT IS ALL!”

“I guess it’s getting real,” said Haberman, as he was escorted towards the steps to the stage.

“Yes, sir. It’s about to get very real. Right now.”

GOOD VERSUS EVIL

The door of the Hard Rock flew open and out came Kade. He was dressed to the nines in black cowboy boots, black jeans, a crimson button down shirt, and a black leather vest. His long black hair was pulled back tight in a ponytail, and his and his mustache was screaming to the ladies. Not right now though, because he had work to do. Chaos had instructed him to kill Prescott, then the crazy bastard walks right up to the front door.
Oooh, the master will be sooooo pleased.
Kade couldn’t deny as he took the stage that he had never felt so blessed by the greatness of the Chaos and The Eighty-Eight. Tonight’s ceremony would be his greatest achievement since The Descent. How did he know? Kade had been personally told by Chaos that Prescott’s death would be a great victory against the Regulars, and the first offensive of a new war. This was the message Kade would deliver to his army tonight. The battle cry of a new offensive. He could barely contain his excitement.

He strode happily onto the stage to an unbelievable reception. He really would never tire of this.

“KADE! KADE! KADE!”

They loved him. And truthfully he loved them, too. He had this little talk with himself whenever he took the stage. No, they weren’t perfect, but they worshipped him, so that gave them some leeway when they messed up. Right now though, he was going to give them what they came for. What they
lived
for. What they
strove
for. What was in their
nature.
Blood. Pain. Carnage. He took the microphone off the stand and it began.

Malcolm.

No!

Dammit, you coward. You can’t stand on the sidelines for this. You have to STAND for something!

I can
not
interfere.

Riiiiight. What’s four more dead Regulars? You already watched two hundred get slaughtered. Some protectorate you got there.

“
Welcome! Tonight is going to be very special. I know it’s only been a couple of days since our last gathering, but we have with us tonight a few very important guests. One in particular who claims he came here to kill me.” The crowd hissed and booed. “You worthless bastards! I said one of these intruders came
here
to
KILL
ME
!” The Freaks roared with rage.

Doesn’t take them long to get frothy.

“His name is Prescott! I know, I know. The name doesn’t really make me shiver, either.”

“Hey!” I said.

“Shut the fuck up! You will not speak unless you are spoken to. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Great. Do you recall, just mere minutes ago, that you struck me in the face, Mr. Prescott?”

“I feel like I’ve asked you politely not to call me that now multiple times. Why won’t you respect my needs? What
is
it with you people?”